Railway skate-operating apparatus



G. F. MURPHY RAILWAY SKATE OPERATING APPARATUS Filed July 21. 1927 Match 13, 1928.

Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ GEORGE F. MURPHY, OF SWIS SVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A.

PENNSYLVANIA.

Application filed July 21,.

My invention relates to railway skate operating apparatus, that is, apparatus for moving a track skate to and from its active position on the track rail.

My present invention is an improvement onthe apparatus shown in application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed by Edwin G. Little on January 26, 1926, Serial No. 83,912, for railway skate operating apparatus, which application has matured into Patent No. 1,641,17 8, dated Sep tember 6, 1927. i V y I will describe one form of skate operat ing apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features there of in claims. V

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 isa view, partly in side elevation and partly 1n vertical section, showing one form of skate operating apparatus embodying my inven tion. I Fig. 2 is a top plan view. showing the cradle 11 and arms 5 and 5 forming part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a view, showing in side elevation, the parts of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2.

Similarreference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference character A designates a track rail of a railway track, and the reference character 13 designates a skatewhich is to be moved to and from its active position onthe tread of the rail A.

Located in the trackway beside the rail A, is a housing 7 in which a link 8 is pivotally suspended from a shaft 9. The lower end of the link 8 is forked, and thetwo prongs in the fork are provided with holes to receivea shaft 10. The shaft 10 passes freely through two lugs 11 formed on a cradle 11, so that this cradle is free toswing around the shaft 10 as a center. The right-hand end of the cradle 11 carries a roller 12, which rolls on a fixed cam 14 supported within the housing 7. The shaft 10 also passes freely through holes in two spaced lugs 15, 15, projecting from an arm 5, and through two spaced lugs 15, 15, projecting from an arm 5", so that these arms are pivotally mounted on the shaft. The arms 5 and 5 normally rest on the top of the cradle l1, and a screw 2 projects downwardly from each arm and engages a surface 3 on the top RAILWAY SKATE-OPERATING APPARATUS.

1927. Serial No. 207,438.

CORPORATION OF The two forks on the lower end of link 8 lie in the space between lugs 15 and 11, and in the space between lugs 11'. and 15,1'espectively.

The arms 5 and 5 are provided with aligned yokes 13'to detachably receive a sin I gle straight lug 6 on theskate B. As here shown, each jaw of each yoke is provided with a central rib 13, and the jaw flares outwardly from this rib toprovide considerable clearance betwen the jaws and the lug 6 at the outer edges of the yoke.

The link 8 is pivotally connected with an operating rod 17 which may be moved longitudinally by any suitable means, such, for example, as the motor device D shown in the application by Edwin G. Little identified above.

When the operating rod 17 is in its re tracted position, the parts occupy their'normal positions in which they are shown in the drawing, and the skate B is retracted from the track rail A. If now the rod 17 is proing the cradle 11 and the arms 5. and 5 to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, with the result that the skate B is lifted over the track rail A and is dropped into active position on the tread of the rail. When the rod 17 is again retracted, the skate B will again be lifted clear of the rail A and then will be returned to its retracted position in which it is shown in the drawing.

I have found that-when a car wheel rides upon the skate A, the skate is some times tipped or rocked longitudinally to a suificient extent to break either the lug 6 or the .yoke which engages this lug. In apparatus embodying my invention, when this tipping motion of the skate occurs, one of the arms 5 or 5 will be swung upwardly around the shaft 10 as a center, and the lug 6 will roll in the flared jaws 13, thereby avoiding any undue strain on either the lug 6 or the jaws 13.

Although I have herein shown and de scribed only one form of skate operating apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may he made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A railway skate operating mechanism comln'ising a cradle, two arms pivotall connected with said cradle and normally resting thereon. said arms having aligned yokes for detachably engaging a skate, and means for moving said cradle to shift the skate to and from its active po=ition on the track rail.

A railwa skate operating mechanism comprising a cradle, two arms pivotally connected with said cradle and normally resting thereon. said arms having aligned yokes for detachably engaging a skate. and means for moving said cradle to shift the skate to and from its active position on the track rails, each jaw of each voke heing flared outwardly "from a central line which is normally engaged by the skate.

3. A railway skate operating mechanism eom 'irising a cradle, two arms pivotally eonneeted with said cradle and normally resting thereon, means fo adjusting the normal position of each arm with respect to said cradl said arms having aligned vokes for detachably engaging a skate, and means for moving said cradle to shift the skate to and from its active position on the traek rail.

4. A railway skate operating mcehanism comprising a cradle, a shaft passing through said cradle, two arms pivotally supported on said shaft and normally resting on said cradle, said arms having aligned yokes to detaehablv engage a single straight lug on the skate, and means for moving said cradle to shift the skate to and from its active position on the track rail A railway skate operating mechanism comprising a cradle, two arms pivotallv eonneetetl with said cradle and normallv resting thereon, said arms having aligned yokes with flaring jaws'lor dctaelnihlv engaging a skate, and means for moving said cradle to shit't the skate to and from its active position on the trackrail.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

GEORGE l. MURPHY. 

